Dell Updates EqualLogic Storage Line, Upgrades VM Firmware

By CIOinsight |
Posted 08-23-2011

Dell launched a refresh of its virtualization-aware EqualLogic storage systems Aug. 22, and at the same time tightened integration with VMware's latest hypervisor, vSphere 5, for cloud-system management.

In fact, Dell's got some other news to come in the virtualization realm, and it's not all about storage. The company is expected to make a major announcement next week during VMworld around cloud services.

The PS6100 series, which can store up to 72TB in one array and 1.2PB in a cluster, is designed for midrange businesses. Pricing starts at $30,700.

The PS4000, aimed at remote offices in large companies, and small and midsize businesses, can hold as much as 36TB in a single array of machines. Pricing for the PS4100, the new machine in the 4000 line announced Aug. 22, starts at $9,500.

The launch marks Dell's first use of higher-performance 2.5-inch drives in the EqualLogic product line, which, Dell Executive Director of Storage Travis Vigil told eWEEK, provides greater density that enables users to store more in less space.

Additionally, customers can gain up to 60 percent performance improvement on typical workloads with the EqualLogic PS Series, compared with the previous-generation EqualLogic arrays, Vigil said, basing his statement on Dell's internal metrics.